More charges filed against Utah's alleged 'Mountain Man'

Tom Swindlehurst knew someone had been in his Beaver Mountain cabin.

A camp stove had been taken inside and used to cook beans. But nothing was stolen, except food.

And in a family "log book" kept at the cabin, the winter guest had left a message: "Thanks for the hospitality, Troy James the redhead."

Police believe the man who signed his name in Swindlehurst's log book during the winter of 2009 was Troy James Knapp, the notorious "Mountain Man" accused of burglarizing cabins in multiple counties and evading law enforcement for more than six years.

Beaver County authorities have filed charges against Knapp for two alleged break-ins at the Swindlehurst cabin. Knapp was charged last week in that county with two counts of second-degree felony burglary and two counts of theft, one a second-degree felony and the other a class B misdemeanor.

According to a probable cause statement filed in 5th District Court, Knapp is accused of also breaking into the Swindlehurst cabin during the winter of 2012. Coby Swindlehurst told police that he had left a .45 caliber gun in the family cabin in February 2012, and when another family member went to the cabin a month later, a window had been broken and the .45 caliber gun was taken — but another handgun, a .38 Special, was left in its place. The stolen gun was valued at $1,200, according to police.

Beaver is the fifth Utah county to file charges against Knapp. Sanpete County filed three separate cases against him in April after his capture near Ferron Reservoir, charging him with six felonies and five misdemeanors, mostly burglary and theft charges. In 2012, Iron, Kane and Garfield counties filed burglary-related charges. As of Thursday, Knapp has 22 felonies and 11 misdemeanors — mostly burglary and theft — filed against him.

Knapp is being held at the Sanpete County jail, and prosecution is underway in the three Sanpete cases. He appeared in Manti's 6th District Court Wednesday, where his attorney, Lawrence Hunt, said a "global resolution" is being considered for Knapp that would resolve the charges in every jurisdiction at one time, according to court records.

Hunt also told the judge that Knapp has an attorney for pending federal charges, but as of Thursday morning, no charges had been filed in federal court.

Those federal charges would likely address alleged crimes Knapp committed during his April 2 capture, when police say he fired a rifle at a Department of Public Safety helicopter. He also allegedly pointed the weapon at Emery County Sheriff Greg Funk, one of about 50 law officers who converged on Knapp near Ferron Reservoir.

Knapp is expected to be back in court July 10 for a scheduling conference.

jmiller@sltrib.com

Twitter: @jm_miller